If you regularly read my column in this paper, you’ll know I am concerned about the impending switch off of the analogue landline and the potential implications for people living in rural areas like East Hampshire.
If you’re not yet aware, the UK’s traditional copper landline network will be switched off in January 2027. It’s worth noting that the original deadline was set for the end of this year but was delayed after difficulties emerged in migrating individuals with telecare alarms to digital landlines.
In theory, the transition is straightforward: everyone who relies on a landline will be moved to a digital version. Sounds simple.
However, the switchover presents significant challenges, particularly for rural communities.
First and foremost, digital phones do not work during a power cut meaning that you either need a mobile phone as a backup, or a battery-powered backup unit to keep the digital landline running.
For those in urban areas, this may not be a major issue. But in East Hampshire, we know all too well that the mobile signal can be weak or non-existent, especially indoors. That makes the mobile phone backup option a non-starter for many.
BT and other providers are offering a ‘hybrid’ phone that can switch to the mobile network if the digital line fails. But if there’s no mobile network to connect to in the first place, this solution is useless.
Then there’s the issue of the power cuts themselves. In our area, they can last not just hours but sometimes days. Ofcom currently mandates that backup batteries must provide a minimum of one hour of calls. This is nowhere near enough in areas where power cuts are frequent, especially in bad weather. Ofcom must extend this requirement to reflect the realities of living in a rural community.
Another concern I frequently hear from constituents is that they’re being forced to move to a digital landline as soon as their existing contracts ends, whether they want to or not.
For some, this transition is disruptive and stressful. One constituent, who got in touch recently, explained that she previously had multiple landline phones placed around her home. Now, she has just one digital handset, which is cumbersome to carry and needs to be charged overnight—away from her bedroom, due to the location of the connection point. She has no mobile signal where she lives and is genuinely frightened about what might happen in an emergency.
Last week, I wrote to Peter Kyle, the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT), to raise these concerns (a copy of my letter is available on my website). In it, I outlined three key steps that I think need to be taken: the battery life for backup units needs to be significantly increased, efforts need to be made to raise public awareness about the switch over, and backup battery units should be provided free of charge to those residents living within postcodes that experience regular power cuts, and not just those on the vulnerable register.
The transition from analogue to digital is being led by the telecoms industry, but the government must step in now to protect consumers, especially those who are landline dependent. No one should be left without a lifeline in the event of a power cut. And above all, everyone must be made aware that this change is coming, before it’s too late